Electric fence and control system therefor



Jan. 16, 1951 P. swu. 2,538,172

ELECTRIC FENCE AND CONTROL SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed D90. 20, 1946 5' [3 g2e Fl 6. .1 v Q Pat ented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEELECTRIC FENCE AND CONTROL SYSTEM THEREFOR Paul Stull, Marion, OhioApplication December 20, 1946, Serial No. 717,508

, 2 Claims.

This invention relates to stock enclosures and more particularly to animproved arrangement of and control system for an electrically chargedstock. enclosure.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedelectric fence arranged as a stock enclosure and a control system forsaid fence, the system being very simple as to the construction andarrangement of parts, not hazardous to man or animal, non-productive ofradio interference and inexpensive to operate. 7

A further objector the invention is t provide an improved arrangementandcontrol system of the character described which is adaptable tosingle Or multiple arrangements of electrically charged wires encirclingone or more areas to form separate enclosures, wherein alarm and si nalmeans are provided signifying by said alarm and signal means in whichenclosure contact with a fence wire is being made, wherein there is nocurrent flow except when the wires forming the enclosure are grounded byan animal or other extraneous conductor, wherein minimum inductance isemployed so that radio interference is minimized, and wherein the shockexperienced by an animal coming in contact with a fence wire ismomentary so that an opportunity is afforded for the animal to freeitself from the wire without unnecessary punishment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a physical arrangement of parts of a control system for astock enclosure according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electric fence systemassociated with the elements shown in Figure 1. V

Referring to the drawings, I l designates a cabinet having a controlpanel l2. Mounted on panel i2 are alarm bells l3 and I4, lamps l5 andI6, resistors H and i8, fuses i9 and 25, a terminal strip 2i, a pair ofswitches 22 and 23, a pair of lightning gap-arrestors 24 and 25, a pairof dashpot type relays 25 and 21, push button switches 28 and 29 and aterminal strip 35. In Figure 2, 3i designates an inner stock enclosingwire and 32 designates an outer stock enclosing wire. The inner stockenclosing section may include an extra wire and the outer section mayinclude an extra wire, these extra wires being of similar configurationto wires 3| and 32 and'being optional. The incoming utility Wires aredesignated at 3 34 and 35. wire 35 being a rounded neutral and beingconnected to the ground buss I The Wires 33, 34 and 35 19 with contacts39 and 40 and bridges a pair of spring cushioned contacts 4| and 42, asshown in dotted view in Figure 2. When the relay is depenergized, bar 38moves slowly back into contact with contacts 39 and 40, the time delaybeing adjustable, as in conventional dashpot relays of this type. Relay21 is similar, and has a contact; bar 43 which normally bridges a pairof contacts:

44 and 45 but which moves into contact with a.

pair of spring-cushioned contacts 45 and 41 upon.

energization of the relay. Upon deenergization of relay 21, bar 43 movesslowly back into bridging relation with contacts 44 and 45.

Wire 3! is charged by a circuit comprising a conductor 48, resistor [8,a conductor 49, contact 45, bar 43 in the normally deenergized positionof relay 21, contact 44, a conductor 55, fuse 20, a conductor 5|, aswitch blade 52 of a line switch, generallydesignated 53, and lineconductor 34. The winding of relay 2'! is connected between conductor 49and a center tap of resistor l8. Connected across said resistor is thesignal lamp l6. Switch 29, which is employed for testing purposes, isconnected between conductor 48 and a conductor 54 which is connected toground 3 buss 36. Signal bell i4 is connected between contact 41 andconductor 54 through switch 23. When wire 3| is engaged by an animal,current flows through the animal from the charged wire and at the sametime produces a voltage drop across resistor l8. The current flowthrough wire 3| energizes the signal lamp l6 and at the same timeenergizes relay2l, causing bar 43 to move out of contact withcontacts'44 and 45 and into bridging contact with contacts 46 and 41.This opens, the charging circuit to wire 3| and deenergizes relay 21.Bar 43 remains in contact with contacts 46 and 41 fora time perioddetermined by the adjustment of the relay and then drops back intobridging contact with contacts 44, and 45. If the animal is stillengaged with wire 3| it experiences another momentary shock and thecycle is repeated. If the animal has freed itself, relay 2'! remainsdeenergized. If switch 23is in its closed position, an audible signalwill be given an y bell 14 during the time that bar 43 is in bridea ingengagement with contacts 46 and 41, thus audibly warning of the path toground previously established at wire 3|, and if said warning continuesto be periodically sounded, it indicates that wire 3| has beenaccidentally grounded or that an animal has become inextricablyentangled with said wire.

A circuit with circuit elements thereof similar in all respects to thatdescribed above is provided for outer enclosure wire 32 and theoperation thereof is exactly the same as described in connection withthe enclosure wire 3|. When a path to ground is established at wire 32,the current flow through the circuit causes relay 28 to be energized andilluminates signal lamp [5. Contact bar 38 opens the charging circuit atcontacts 39 and 49 and bridges contacts Al and 42 for a predeterminedtime period before dropping back into engagement with contacts 39 and"49. During the time period, bell 43 gives an audible signal, assumingthat switch 22 is in its closed position. Said time period allows ananimal to extricate itself from the enclosure wire after re" ceiving thepreliminary momentary shock. The charging line circuit to wire 32 iscontrolled by a knife switch 55 which connects said line circuit to lineconductort3; knife switch 56 being included in line switch 53.

In testing the circuits, the push button switches 28=and 29-arerespectively closed, thereby grounding the respective enclosure wires.fhe circuit elements may then "be checked to determine if theiroperation is normal.

While a specific embodiment of an arrangement for controlling anelectric fence system has been disclosed in the foregoing description,it will be understood that various modifications Within the spirit ofthe invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it isintended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system of the character described, 'a fence to be grounded byananimal walking upon the ground, a lead wire connected with the fence,a switch connected in the lead wire and including a moveable element, adashpot relay connected when the dashpot relay is energized.

2. In a system of the character described, a fence to be grounded by ananimal walking upon the ground, a lead wire connected with the fence, aswitch connected in the lead wire and including a moveable element, adashpot relay connected with the moveable element to shift it to anopenposition and retard its closing movement, a resistor connected inthe lead Wire between the switch and fence, a circuit connected with thedashpot relay and lead wire adjacent to one end of the resistor and withthe resistor nearits center, a second lead wire which is grounded,

,a wire connected with the first lead wire upon that side of the firstswitch remote from the resistor and connected with the second lead wire,and a switch connected in the last-named wire and including contacts tobe engaged and elecjtrically connected by the moveable element of thefirst-named switch when the dashpot relay is energized.

PAUL S'IULL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED S'IATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,856 Raney Dec. 29, 1914155,696 Wilson N July 7, .1891 1,544,536 Stewart June 30, 1925 1,558,101Lieb Octv 20, 1925 2,079,636 Sharp May 11, 1937 2,355,752 Repking Aug.15, 1944 2,375,458 Agnew et al. May "8, 1945

